The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-03-23
Scene of the Wreck.


Tho wreck as il liea makes moro appalling
ruin than that Of any recent disaster. AT Deer
field, White River Junction, and other scenes
OF horror fire wiped out all the ruins that were
not indestructible, but not SO this time There
lies the great trough nearly filled with torn,
twisted, crushed. and splntered railroad prop
erty. An adequate description OF the shapeless
mass is simply impossible. OF the nine cars
which formed the train six are in the cut. The
frst-No. 520-lies minus its trucks near the
track, about four hundred feet from the
nearest bridge abutment. 1t was the rear
truck Of this car that went wrong first, but the
occupants were not hurt, being only shaken up.
Just back OF this car is No Is, the second car Of
the train. The car was swept from its trucks
and its crushed in by the car follow
ing. Car No. 20. the third one Of the train, il
the embankment badly demoraized, but re-
tains its general shape. The passengers in this
were badly shaken up, but there were no
serious casualties among them. This car lies
partly on its side about loo feet from the chasn
Next oone car no. 81. 1t is doubtful IL any
one escaped from this car alive. The bridge
entirely gave way before it reached the inward
site, but the momentum OF the train and the
strength Of the couplings carried il nearly over
the chasm. IL dropped just before il reached
the abutInent and the body of the dashed
against the selid stone wall. The force OF the
shock shot the roof forward SO that il cleared
the ohasm and slid along the rails itself full
length: The bsdy of the car was literally
ground 20 pieces. and the bits of wood iron and
human bodies were strewn on the road beneath.
forming the foundation of the wreck Those
who examined the wreck could find no distinct
trace in tho ruins OF this which could be
identified. The only proof that it had existed
was the fact that there were plainly nine car
roofs at different points. and 10 followed, of
course, that nine cars had been wrecked though
it was possible TO trace but eight
The cars which lie in the chasm form a pile
of wreckage 400 feet long by 100 feet wide. The
road beneath crosses at such a sharp angle that
all the ears were diverted on striking the oppo-
site abutment into general position parallel
Nth the street and the abutinents Most Of
the casualties were in cars "a, 20, and 81, re-
spectively, the fourth, fifth, and sixth ON the
train. and the FIRST second, and third OF those
which won't iuto the chasm. Car No "a lies in
IA heap Of splinters. with side and roof broken
in. The stove did not break it's fasten-
ings, but was broken above the crate
The fire, however, was extinguished Car
No 80 lies parallel to car 5, unroofed
and with every seat gone Several of the killed
and wounded persons were taken from this car
The stove OF this car remained firmly fixed and
no fire escaped. Cor 81 is partially demolished.
while No. ~ lies almost intact upon the ruins.
Many persons were injured i'm these cars and but
few were killed. Back Of them Is the upturned
wreck Of the smoker only n corner Of which re-
mains. The car whirled upside down as il half
fell from the einbankInent. Scarcely any of its
occupants escaped injury, and Policeman Labor
and one or two others were killed